Originally posted by SlestakMy wife and I are having the same debate over Sonic. They just opened a Sonic drive-in on my block, so I'm there all the time. At Sonic, you order via speaker and a carhop brings you your food. Apparently, I'm supposed to tip the carhop, even though they make minimum wage or higher, and not a tipping wage like waiters (which is, what, like $2.25/hr?). I disagree with that, and my wife gives me nasty looks while the carhop makes change.

I've never tipped at a Sonic. Now, if a cute carhop was to give me her number.... :)

The reason the topic came up at all, was that the manager type person seems to have started giving us dirty looks after we pay. Thus it was the dirty look that spawned the "should we tip?" And that I've never seen (in 3 states) a Subway without a tip cup.

I'm going to expand this topic a little... Where do you draw the line?

For example:

Sizzler.

You walk in to Sizzler and order at a counter in front, but from that point on you get regular wait service (except for the Salad Bar, which you do yourself). The wait staff brings you your all-you-can eat shrimp and stuff like that, and the drinks also. You pick your location and seat yourself and hand your wait persona receipt.

The problem I have here is that you pay before you eat, so there is no easy way to add a tip on your credit card at the end. Do you tip here? If so, 15% - or do you do less because you paid at the front and its not really a nice restaurant?

Soup Plantation / Hometown Buffet / Chinese Buffet:

Get the food yourself from a counter, but there are bus people who come around and take your plates away, etc. Tip here? Is this a "leave a buck" tip or a real tip?

Vegas Buffet:

Is this a special case? I know you are supposed to tip everyone in Vegas it seems like. Is this different than regular buffet?

Restuarants with Food Runners:

Order at a counter, you get your own drink. Given a number at your place. Seat yourself. Tip here?

Obviously, if you are seated at a restaurant, brought your food, drinks, etc, and given your check at the table, this is a tipping situation. I will even accept walking to a cash register to pay (Denny's, Carrow's, etc.).

It has always been my opinion that if I am doing any of the service work for the people that I don't have to tip, as tipping is "To Insure Proper Service" or something. Hence, no need to as I am giving the service. I just don't know how this works with bussing and the other examples.

I worked at a fast food place/deli and we actually were not allowed to take tips. (People did anyway, but it wasn't company policy) Sometimes, if the person has been really, really helpful you may want to fill out one of the comment cards and mention the person by name. Takes some time,and less money, but managers do read those things and it could mean a promotion for someone.

Originally posted by SlestakMy wife and I are having the same debate over Sonic. They just opened a Sonic drive-in on my block, so I'm there all the time. At Sonic, you order via speaker and a carhop brings you your food. Apparently, I'm supposed to tip the carhop, even though they make minimum wage or higher, and not a tipping wage like waiters (which is, what, like $2.25/hr?). I disagree with that, and my wife gives me nasty looks while the carhop makes change

Okay, I DO tip at Sonic. That girl has to walk across the parking lot with my Chili/Cheese Coney and Strawberry Limeade in fifteen degree snowy November weather, she's EARNED that tip.

SizzlerEven though it's not a "nice" restaurant, I would tip. You do have someone waiting on you. I tip 15% here.

Soup Plantation / Hometown Buffet / Chinese Buffet:If they come by, pick up the dirty plates, and refill my drinks, they get tipped, but never more than 15%. If they don't, I still leave a buck or two.

Vegas BuffetI've never been to Vegas, but I would most likely tip. Isn't that how most folks make their money around there?

Restaurants with Food RunnersIf they just bring my food to me, and I do the rest, I don't tip. However, I always make it a point to bus my own table when able.

I consider myself to be a good tipper. Of course, nobody wants to think they're a bad tipper, but I generally leave close to 20%. If I just get my food and something to drink, I leave 15%, but if the service is good, I'll go up to 20% and sometimes more. If the tab is less than $10, I always leave $3.

See, a lot of the folks in OKC are either tightwads or old folks (usually a combination of the two). My wife waitressed at The Kettle one summer during college, and the little old ladies would leave her dimes and nickles for tips. Even now, in "nice" restaurants, I see folks stiffing waitpersons a lot, so I make it a point to leave a decent tip. I always leave at least 15%, because I know, especially at buffet joints, those folks ain't gettin' tipped.

The places that really bug me are the frogurt shops. They always employ the most unhappy teenaged girls in neighborhood, yet they proudly display a tip jar. Like I'm going to give 'em a buck because they gave me extra sprinkles.

I'm a bad tipper. I don't think about it, and usually end up without very much cash on hand to actually Tip with. When I actually get a steady job that I actually go to, then I'll act more responsibly. Anyway, I just wanted to chime in to Freeway420 earlier talking about finding money cleaning out theaters. I had a friend who worked at (formerly) the biggest theater in Durham, NC, which also happens to be a big spot for late night drug deals. Basically, after midnight, all the punks hang out in one of the theaters at the back, talk on their cell-phones, and let all their buddies who were dealing out back in through the exit door. So every night at clean-up my friend made a habit of cleaning those theaters, looking for cash that didn't quite make it into someone's pocket. He even scored over 300 dollars in just one night.

-Jag

"You gotta hate somebody before this is over. Them, me, it doesn't matter."

Well in general I tend to throw tips more often than probably need be, just because I always figure the poor schmuck on the other end can use the extra $0.57 or $1.75 or whatever more than I can. But to break it down more:

-Sizzler: I don't really have a lot of experience on that one. Sounds like somewhere I would throw down something, maybe 10% if they're bringing all your food and generally having to check up on you. For point of reference I do the Indian buffet thing a lot, where they are bringing you your naan, tandoori chicken, drinks, but you get the rest from the buffet, and that's usually a $1-2 tip on a $10-15 bill from me.

-Old Country Buffet style: I don't think there's any need here, if you're getting ALL your stuff for yourself. If I have spare change from the purchase of the meal I might leave that, but I would never actually make a special effort to consider a tip.

-Food runner places: see above

-Vegas Buffet: always tip everyone you see in Vegas. You can always use the extra karma points at the tables -Starbucks: again, the spare change is my general thing if they have a tip jar out. If the person seems especially friendly or is an especially cute member of the female persuasion I might throw a spare single if I get one from my change. If both of these occur, I give her my wallet and beg her to like me.

Anyone remember the joy of seeing him bash the Undertaker's motorcycle with his sledgemhammer and doing no damage and being all like, "Mjolnir will not break thine cycle? I say thee NAY!" and dumping it off the stage. - Enojado Viento says the funniest thing I've ever read on Wienerville.

Originally posted by FridayTakes some time,and less money, but managers do read those things and it could mean a promotion for someone.

Can I just call BS on this? The only cards the managers ever do anything with when they look over the comment card box are the negative ones. Their rationale, "It's your job to provide superior service, why should you be rewarded beyong your pay rate for this?" Sounds stupid, but it's how they THINK. If you want to write a positive comment card at a less-than-full service restaurant, make a $0.37 tip and mail it into corporate HQ.

spf said, “Starbucks: again, the spare change is my general thing if they have a tip jar out. If the person seems especially friendly or is an especially cute member of the female persuasion I might throw a spare single if I get one from my change. If both of these occur, I give her my wallet and beg her to like me.”

HA! HAHAHAHAHAHA! Funny especially to me, seeing as how there actually is a cute, friendly member of the female persuasion at my local Starbucks that I have quite a bit of a crush on.

I'm not yet to the point where I'm giving her my wallet and begging her to like me, though. Although when it comes down to it, all guys do that in some way, shape or form. LOL!

“You bring what you got. The measuring stick just changed around here, pal. You're looking at it.”

PR: Well, speaking from experience, I tip at Sizzler. It has become part of our Super 8 trip experience. We generally leave a giant wad of cash on a plate at the end of the meal.

Of course - we are a group of 12+ so we usually have 2-3 waitstaff helping us and we our loud, hungry wrestling fans so we tend to overtip to make sure we are allowed back in next year. (The staff has started to remember us. The look of horror on the girl at the counter's face was not one easy to forget.)

Now, if I went alone, I would still tip because I would want to tip the waiter/waitress who was bringing me my drinks and food. Too me its just like Mongolian BBQ, were all my waitress is bringing me is a Coke and a bowl of rice.

It is a lot easier if you have some cash on you because then you don't have to worry about the tip line on a credit card. That being said, the entire staff might just split all the tips since seating at Sizzler is free-for-all. So you could just add it when you pay, since at least technically, you are tipping a couple of folks. And if they are splitting - then I would go with my standard 20% - since each person is only getting like 2% of that.

Man, I really hope they split the tips because we left extra money this year for the cute girl who was stuck with the unfortunate task of busing our table.

I think a better question than whether to tip at Subway is why do you still go to Subway? I mean, it's hard to believe that simply changing from the U-Gorge to the Hinge Cut OF SATAN could ruin their sammiches, but it DID, and it's SAD.

Originally posted by ekedolphinspf said, “Starbucks: again, the spare change is my general thing if they have a tip jar out. If the person seems especially friendly or is an especially cute member of the female persuasion I might throw a spare single if I get one from my change. If both of these occur, I give her my wallet and beg her to like me.”

HA! HAHAHAHAHAHA! Funny especially to me, seeing as how there actually is a cute, friendly member of the female persuasion at my local Starbucks that I have quite a bit of a crush on.

I'm not yet to the point where I'm giving her my wallet and begging her to like me, though. Although when it comes down to it, all guys do that in some way, shape or form. LOL!

Originally posted by TheBucsFanI think soliciting tips (not just Subway, I mean anybody anywhere) is selfish and presumptious and I go out of my way not to tip people who have them.

You'd Hate Tim Horton's In Canada... you can make alot of money there, like tips+minimum wage = 12 dollars an hour...

I worked a summer there, and made roughly 10 dollars an hour, 4 in tips...

yeah but that equals what? $5 an hour? that would be less than the minimum wage...

You can't fire a gun in a confined space! What are you tring to do, make us deaf?!""Just get out of the chopper.""What?""Get out of the chopper!""The crops!?" - Jack Lemmon and James Garner, "My Fellow Americans", and the reason I say "The crops?" instead of "Huh?"

In regards to all those places/situations Guru named in his extension of the thread, I would tip, altho the second and last ones would be a small tip.

I consider myself a good tipper, just an hour or two ago I was at a local Pgh. eatery called Eat N Park. (I hope its only a Pgh. franchise or I will sound dumb) I would say that its a nice little place but not too expensive. It's got normal waitressing service an shit, and you pay at the end. I convinced my father who was doin the tipping to raise it a lil bit cuz the waitress was quite curteous. The bottom line is: Tip at any place that isn't generally considered "fast food". While that may be vague, I think its easy to tell the difference.

What a Manuever!

Ross During Jeff's Ladder Match, after the KO chairshot:"CLIMB THE LADDER KID, MAKE YOURSELF FAMOUS!" Just awesome.